WONDERING AND WANDERING

“THE ABILITY TO THINK IS A GIFT.

THINKING IS AN INTENTIONAL COGNITIVE PROCESS.

FREEDOM OF THOUGHT AND SPEECH IS A CONCEPT.”

I am not altogether sure where this may be taking me, or whether whatever results in the end may be worthy of being posted somewhere -or anywhere.

The inner battle we all endure, almost from the earliest moment of awareness, somehow revolves around these concepts: how we understand them, how we use them, and how we may be lauded or penalized for doing so.

In the beginning, the thought process simply is. It is taken for granted, so much so that the idea of thinking about thinking is rarely -if ever- considered. We move through early life guided by routines learned from our families and the societal communities we are born into. Unfortunately, a great number of people remain in this state of acceptable, directed actions for the rest of their lives.

Many fall into this path because of laziness or complacency. It is easier to “just let it be” than to risk being chastised or criticized for standing firm in beliefs that dare challenge accepted dictums.

We all have the ability to think. This is a gift given at birth, one that sets us apart from other species: the capacity to engage in a cognitive process that allows the mind to move from “A” to “B” in a relatively coherent manner. This basic faculty helps us observe, understand, learn, decide, and -when all is said and done- carry on with daily life. There are no guarantees we will always do the right things at the right times, but we can at least get from A to B.

That said, this gift does not arrive with an instruction booklet. The conscious ability to direct the thinking process must be learned. It is a long and often confusing path, one that offers no promise of success. Perhaps this is why so many use this ability only minimally -just enough to get by.

Thinking, as a disciplined exercise, is a powerful habit. It can lead the thinker into a clearer state of mind, one capable of beginning to understand -even to comprehend- aspects of life that were previously obscured. It enables organized imagination, personal journeys that exist only within a single mind, and potential solutions to problems that, not long ago, seemed insurmountable.

Do not misunderstand me. I am not referring to the wild meanderings of a lost mind, nor to the false awakenings induced by external influences. I am referring to a mind that has been cognitively unleashed -free to think, to explore, even in the most preposterous directions. Fully immersed in the “why not?” aspects of life and yes, even death- yet remaining under control and fully aware of consequences.

Positive and negative.

Then we arrive at freedom of thought and speech as a concept. An idea.

A mind surrounding, virtual wall.

Nations have been won and lost on the basis of this societal construct. People have lived -and people have died- defending or attacking it, often without realizing that the proposed freedom extends only as far as the entity defining it allows. All the while, those engaged in the struggle are led to believe, carrot-like, that they are unquestionably right.

Both sides.

All societies establish parameters of acceptable behavior, and these include guidelines governing both body and mind. When an individual strays, they are herded back into “the corral” by whatever means are available: peer pressure, coercion, accusations -vague or direct- ostracism, re-education. None of these methods are gentle or attractive, yet all are used to varying degrees, justified by the belief that the well-being of society rests on the collective weight of its well-behaved members.

And yet, the growth and evolution of societies have almost always been the result of a few individuals who dared to think differently -who viewed their world from another angle and stood by their convictions. They turned things upside down with unconventional ideas. The societies that listened, acted, began to evolve, to grow, and to advance.

Yes, in some cases, the results fell far from the mark or were even very negative. But in many others, they were profoundly positive for those willing to look through a different lens -toward what was not, but what could be. In doing so, these societies often pulled others forward as well, extending the benefits beyond their original borders.

Freedom of thought and expression may be a concept. But the human mind has repeatedly shown that it is capable of going beyond concepts altogether.

And when it does, it can think, envision, dream, and construct what never existed before -and also accept the responsibility that comes with doing so.